The Rev. Dr. Robert B. Ives

Longtime senior pastor of the Grantham Church and Messiah’s college pastor for 30 years, the Rev. Dr. Robert B. Ives died on April 11. Bob was much beloved and known for preaching the Word, teaching and discussing literature (particularly C.S. Lewis), loving others as Christ loves us, and enjoying good coffee (long before it was popular!). Many Messiah students benefitted from his scholarship as he spent decades teaching as an adjunct professor. He was perhaps best known for his “Oxford Christian Writers” course, but he also taught in biblical studies. Bob graduated with a chemical engineering degree from Drexel. He changed gears and went to Fuller Seminary, Princeton Seminary, and then the University of Manchester, England, to receive a doctoral degree in Church History in 1965. Bob was on the staff of Park Street Church in Boston and Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia before arriving at the Grantham Church and Messiah in 1971.

Dr. John Yeatts, himself a pastor at Grantham Church for four years and Professor Emeritus of the Psychology of Religion, reflected, “In the 30 years that Bob Ives was pastor of Grantham Church, he had a clear and unwavering vision for a church focused on the Bible. Every ministry of the church—worship, Sunday school, small groups, children/youth programs—all were centered on Bible study. As a result, Grantham Church remains biblically literate with a high respect for biblical truth.”

We offer our deepest sympathy to his wife of 60 years, Nancy ’81; daughter, Karen ’86; sons Brian ’88 and Jeffrey; and their extended family.